## **VEDANTA BIDYASHRAM** (CHARITY NO: 1123282)
_“PROVIDING EDUCATION TO INDIA’S POOREST CHILDREN”_
## **ANNUAL REPORT 2023**
**Principal Office** 36 Newick Avenue, Little Aston, Birmingham B74 3DA
**Trustees** Chairman - Dr Sujan Kumar Kundu MB BS Treasurer - Mr Sudipta Basudev Kundu MA (Cantab) **Constitution** Governed by Trust Deed dated 24 February 2008
## **Objectives and activities**
The trustees must apply the income of the Charity in furthering the following objects:
1. To advance primary education for under-privileged children including establishing, promoting, assisting and maintaining primary schools and libraries for this purpose; to establish and / or to provide funding for these children to undertake further education, to the extent that they are able to progress to more advanced stages of their education;
2. To advance the education and training of secondary school age children;
3. To relieve sickness and promote and protect good health by the provision of medical treatment or assistance in obtaining medical treatment;
4. To provide relief of need and suffering among victims of natural or other kinds of disaster in the form of money (or other means deemed suitable) for persons, bodies, organisations and/or countries affected as the trustees shall think fit.
## **Achievements and performance**
Vedanta Bidyashram (‘ **VB** ’ or ‘ **the Charity** ’), which loosely translated means “a place of learning at the feet of the master”, was granted charitable status by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 20 March 2008.During the accounting period to 31 March 2023 (‘2023’), the Charity has focussed on three key projects:
## _**Primary school in Serampore**_
Serampore is a relatively small city (by Indian standards) with a population of circa 200,000 which is situated some 20 km north of Kolkata, on the west bank of the Hooghly River, where primary school education continues to be successfully provided to approximately 300 children and the charity supports circa 20 staff (15 teachers and 5 ancillary staff e.g. cooks).
## _**New primary school in Sundarbans**_
Sundarbans is located in the southern part of West Bengal (and stretching across to Bangladesh) and is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal, and is the largest mangrove forest in the world. Preliminary design, planning permission and building work commenced in 2021 and made significant progress during 2022/23. This has been a significant part of the expenditure for the Charity during the year.
## _**New premises at Purulia**_
Purulia is located in the western-most region of West Bengal. Land was donated by local tribal elders to the Charity’s sister Indian organisation (Vedanta Vidyashram) and new
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premises have been constructed with funds from VB to provide a breakfast club, tuition and
lothing to Ial children, following which th¢ ¢hildr¢n go onto their existing primary
schools. The club premises includes a kitchen and dining arw and toilet facilities.
The Trustees continued to obtain support from an Advisory Committee based in Kolkata.
India. which provides its services free to VB. Through this advisory ¢ommittee, projects and
detailed funding requesls are brought lo the attention of the Trustees for iheir consideratio
and approval Rnd thi5 local teatn provides the ne¢esswy leadership and management 'on the
ground, in India. Dr S K Kundu once again spent approximately 5 months of the year in
India, ov¢rs¢ein8 the implemenlation of the schools developm¢nt programmes.
Financial review
Income andwenditure
During the peri(Kl under review, had net income of £40,941 and expenditure substsntially all
on the above three projects of £106,141.
Closingfinancialposilion atyear end
At year end, the Charity had an 'unrestricted' surplus available for its work of £40.7k
comprising cash at bank of £334k and monies invested in liquid investments (primarily UK
shares) of £130.8k with accrued costs. borne by ihe Chaimian, of oirca £123.6k (and a further
£1 00 of initial Trnst Capital).
As the Charity currently obtains all seThices (advisory committee. trustees ¢1¢) free of charge,
il does not currenily incur any administration costs and therefore does nol specifically seek to
maintain a tninitnum level of reserves, other than the initial £1 00 Trust Capital provided on
the establishment of the Trust.
Public beDefil ststeMt(
Throughoui the period under review, the Charity's trustees have sought to comply with their
duty to have due regard to the 8uidan¢e on public benefit published by the Commission in
¢x¢r¢ising their w)wers or duties (and in particular the guidance for charities working
internalionally).
Si8ned on behalf of the Trustees
Mr Sudipta Kundu
Treasurer
## **Vedanta Bidyashram**
## **Accounts for Year Ended 31 March 2023**
|**Income & Expenditure**
Income
Donations
Investment returns
Tax reclaim from HMRC in period
Expenditure
Expenditure relating to West Bengal schools
Other expenditure
Net income /(loss)|**31 Mar 23**
£
43,000
(2,059)
0|
|---|---|
||**_40,941_**|
||(106,100)
(61)|
||**_(106,161)_**|
|||
||**(65,220)**|
|**Balance sheet**
Cash at bank
Killik Investment Funds
Creditors / accruals
Total net assets
Charity initial capital
Unrestricted funds|**31 Mar 22**
£
485
132,889
(27,500)
**105,874**
£
100
105,774
**105,874**|**31 Mar 23**
£
33,424
130,830
(123,600)|
|---|---|---|
|||**40,654**|
|||£
100
40,554|
|||**40,654**|
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## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report**
|**Report to the trustees/**
**members of**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Respective responsibilities**
**of trustees and examiner**|Charity Name
VEDANTA BIDYASHRAM|Charity Name
VEDANTA BIDYASHRAM|Charity Name
VEDANTA BIDYASHRAM|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
||31 MARCH 2023|**Charity no**
**(if any)**|1123282|
|||||
||The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The
charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section
144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent
examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:|||
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
- • to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
**Basis of independent** My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the **examiner’s statement** Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
**Independent examiner's** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention **statement** 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
- have not been met; or
_2._ to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
|**Signed:**
**Name:**
**Relevant professional**
**qualification(s) or body):**
**Address:**
|**Date:**||
|---|---|---|
|||31/05/2024|
||||
||Rudy Sargo||
||||
||SAICA (04910029)||
||||
||Flat 1, Moreton House, Holly Walk||
||London||
||NW3 6RA||
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**IER**